Power blowers or “leaf blowers” are small portable clean-up machines having a small electric or gasoline motor connected to an elongate tubular extension which is held in the hand of operator to direct a forceful stream of an air onto the surface to be cleaned. In some models, the motor is carried on the back of the operator in other models the motor is provided with a strap such that the blower is easily carried during the cleaning operations. The tubular extension has a sleeved nozzle which is slidably received on the end. The nozzle is formed of lightweight plastic material and terminates in either a round or rectangular shape depending upon the manufacturer. These lightweight, easily maneuverable blowers substantially reduce the time and labor required for many cleanup tasks and are used primarily for cleaning grass clippings and leaves from walks and driveways after cutting the lawn. They are also widely used in some areas of the country in removing snow.
There are several patents which disclose various blowers and brush combinations, none of which are suitable for use on or under the equipment, which is where the debris accumulates on the equipment that is used for the yard work or landscaping.
With respect to such conventional blower pipes as described above, there have been proposed one Richardson U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,159 that has a mounting flange, brush and scraper attachments. This is used for cleaning the pavement, walkways or concrete surfaces.
Henke, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,995. According to the invention, a lawn and garden blower has a nozzle which provides a comparatively wide pattern of high velocity air. At the exit of the nozzle, there are pluralities of high-efficiency tubular-shaped bores, arranged side-by-side, which divide the air stream entering the nozzle into a plurality of high-velocity air jets substantially parallel to each other. This product is also used to clean the ground of leaves, walkways and the like.
Power blower attachments have been developed for cleaning overhead structures such as gutters. See Conder, U.S. Pat. No. 8,739,362 and Dennis, US Publication No. 2004/0143931. Neither of these techniques is suitable for cleaning the underside of a lawn mower or other wheeled outdoor equipment positioned close to the ground. Indeed, of the referenced patents are considered and operated to blow the high speed air stream directly toward or parallel with the ground, and cannot be used for cleaning the underside of wheeled equipment.